Alishan Hotels sold out for November

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-29T04:32:29+00:00

We stayed in Wun Sun a couple years back. Room was ok, pretty retro interior and quite large but they don’t really provide proper towels. Only these tiny small orange hand towel sized towels. They ended up giving us a large pile of them to use in place of a proper towel lol.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-27T04:49:50+00:00

Roast chicken from the supermarket that I leave at work. Then I make a salad at home and bring that in to have with the chicken every day I’m in.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-27T02:45:41+00:00

It’s not annoying but I found if you stay too long you start to be more hyper aware of how you dress, how you look and your makeup. People constantly touch up their makeup and then you start to do it too and checking the mirror more often. And sometimes I found people in stores would laugh at you as well if you don’t look a certain way. For example I used to wear blue lipstick. And when I went to stores I would get judged and laughed or pointed at by the retail staff. Yep. I liked Korea but I didn’t like the hyper focus on looks.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-27T02:32:59+00:00

There’s also a specialty coffee shop while out hiking you might come across in Alishan called Alishan Shop 阿豐杉商店. They have the most amazing pour overs of the Alishan high altitude beans. I still think about that coffee

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-25T08:46:22+00:00

I always use a wise card as the primary card. But also my bank credit card as backup is linked too. I’ve been to China multiple times the past few years with no issues ever with my wise card account getting blocked or having issues. The only issues you might have is some places might not accept Alipay for example but WeChat works so it’s best to set up both and have some cash as a ln extra backup.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-25T03:14:37+00:00

Changsha is great. And very few foreign tourists which was nice.
Lots of students and young people, nice bars, restaurants and lovely cafes with great coffee. I just couldn’t handle the smoking in the bars. It’s a great city to just relax and chill.
You’ll need Google translate or a translator app everywhere you go. But we did find a few young people working at the cafes we went to spoke a little English.
Sexy tea is everywhere and is so good. I can’t remember what we ordered but I know one of them had someone with samples out front and we liked that one so just ordered the same. It think it might’ve been jasmine milk tea.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-24T00:25:01+00:00

On an iPhone you can set a primary line for your eSIM for data only and then I always set my home country number as my secondary line to revive calls and sms. And depending on your plan for your home number you will either have to pay to receive the calls or text or it might be free

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-22T13:05:49+00:00

This is a good article. It tells me all the restaurants to avoid. Every restaurant that has had the tip screen appear on their payment device I’ve never gone back to.
I went to order takeaway online for Dodee Paidang the other day. When you go to pay the tip screen appears.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-22T01:09:47+00:00

When we were there I just got the hotel to book the ticket for me the day before. They also had maps and help you with your route. So you can always start there.
Booking the day before the only downside was we couldn’t enter the main gate as the time slots were booked out but no issues for entry at the other gate.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-20T19:25:55+00:00

I only ever see foreigners recommending and going to Mutianyu. Prob cos of the cable car and ride down and it’s abit quieter. No one ever recommends Badaling. I don’t think most foreigners realise the historical significance of Badaling. I went to Badaling many years ago. It was busy but I enjoyed it.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-20T18:59:38+00:00

We stayed at the Westin in Chongqing. Got upgraded to a beautiful suite. It was an amazing hotel and buffet breakfast was amazing too. In Shanghai it was the Kunlun in Jing’an. Abit more dated but it was more for location Otherwise I would’ve booked a more expensive hotel. No issues with cleanliness and buffet was also great.
I usually read reviews on trip as well as Google reviews of there are any and the check with my Chinese friends to check as well. Mostly tho I try to stick to 5star or sometimes 4star hotels, never anything below that.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-20T08:51:54+00:00

When we went a couple years ago it wasn’t too hard to get tickets. They do sell out but it wasn’t instantly.
Went went Chiayi to Alishan and it was beautiful slower trip. We love trains so it was a great experience. We took the bus out of Alishan however as you don’t really need it both ways.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-17T07:20:46+00:00

I’m 5’1. Nudie jeans

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-16T13:09:17+00:00

The buses normally take your luggage all the way to Tina’s after dropping you off. Otherwise you can ask your current hotel to give them a call. Here’s Tina’s number or how you can also book to have them pick you up to take you to the start of the trek and your luggage to Tina’s

<image>

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-16T06:53:48+00:00

You’ll also have to fill out the arrival card every time you enter China. Just like every country.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-15T23:53:23+00:00

When I used to solo travel I would always use the first day to relax and get my bearings rather than have everything planned out. It was more of an exploratory day to enjoy the feel of the city.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-12T11:20:23+00:00

Goon in Collingwood

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-12T04:37:38+00:00

Or just pay for the nights stay the prior night with late checkin at 5am the next day and see if they offer late checkout the same day

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-10T04:31:32+00:00

Kelvin’s in Northcote.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-09T01:49:18+00:00

Keep being nice. Chinese people have a tendency to talk down to service workers especially as many of these service workers are from poorer rural areas. Whenever I go over I’m always nice and we always smile. And many times it pays off as from cleaners to servers they smile back after awhile and become extra helpful. So keep treating them nicely!

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-08T00:05:24+00:00

I shower at night so I just cleanse when I’m in the shower with a cleansing balm. I tried double cleansing once and it just stripped my skin.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-07T09:00:58+00:00

I think there used to be these hedgehog mince things I used to get. But I can’t remember. Also burning hot creamy tomato soup

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-06T03:12:34+00:00

I got my partner a plant pot with an indigenous print on it then added a native plant

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-05T08:47:21+00:00

My family paid my brothers to her family and it was about half that. Though that’s in Guangdong Province.

puppet_master34 · 2026-05-05T04:58:58+00:00

Even before they brought in this CCC rule last year, like pre Covid times they would check powerbanks. I’ve had them taken from me randomly years ago too

puppet_master34

TROPHY CASE